as fickle as autumn skies
by PureWaterLily
Summary: Kakashi found it curious how Sakura, a girl who memorized books with a passion, would get this one proverb wrong. Post-700. One-sided NaruSaku.


_Aki no sora wa nantabi han kawaru._

"The autumn sky changes seven and a half times."

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Yamato was honestly quite baffled when Sakura declined yet again another date invitation by her teammate. Hospital duties, she had said, leaving Naruto with a pout.

When asked about it, Sakura merely smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. As her fingers arranged the set of scalpels on the platter, she told him this.

_Our concept of date and his are very different. You think he is asking me because you think he is in love with me._

She held up one of the blades to the light, examining its gleam. She did not understand men, but she did understand Naruto. Every flaw included. She placed it back down.

_But you see, Naruto does not actually understand love. At least, not that kind. _

She grabbed a nearby rag of antiseptic. She wiped the tools with a type of gentleness that did not escape Yamato's notice.

_The idiot is so careless, his heart so open. I can't say I don't envy that freedom of his._

She looked at him in the eye.

_I won't take advantage of him like that._

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_Otoko-gokoro to aki no sora._

"A man's heart is as fickle as the sky of autumn."

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Sai did not really know what to say when he heard the news of Naruto's engagement with Hinata. He watched as Naruto hug the blushing girl the entire night of the restaurant, laughing and whispering alcohol-induced nonsense.

It was only after the dinner was over, and the road had cleared, that Sai decided to say something. He did not know how to strike conversation exactly, but books told him to stick to topics they were both familiar with.

Naruto slurred, giving a languid wave. _Eh, what about Sasuke_.

Sai did not know. He thought Naruto would tell him.

_Anyway, Hinata, the two of us had been thinking maybe sometime in spring. Right during the cherry blossoms! What do you think._

He pressed his face up close, clear excitement in his eyes. Sai said his thought this time.

A mixture of confusion and disappointment spread across Naruto's features. _What about Sakura-chan? Of course she's invited. Everyone's invited! _

It was not until decades later that Sai came across a proverb in one of his books. Only then did everything make sense.

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_Onna-gokoro to haru no sora._

"A woman's heart is as fickle as the sky of spring."

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Kakashi found Sakura after the wedding ceremony. She had been smiling the whole day, and when he came, she smiled again. He joined her by the patio and asked her what she was thinking.

She gazed back at the starry sky and told him Sasuke. She wished Sasuke could have been here. After all these years, she was the one to have never forgotten him.

Kakashi was wrong. Every love did have a reason. Some just chose not to say them. Tonight, she decided she would.

She loved him because he was beautiful, a beautiful person with a beautiful dream. He was strong, inside and out. He was so courageous and so kind, to each and all.

She loved him because he picked her up when she fell, pushed her forward when she stopped, lifted her high into the skies. He made her smile, made her laugh, made her comfortable, gave her room to be herself, love herself, to grow and to flourish. He made her become a better person.

He was her best friend.

She blinked back tears and smiled again.

She would continue to wait for Sasuke. He was her teammate, the man who once protected her and saved her life. He had suffered greatly. He deserved some type of home and happiness.

_Isn't that right, Kakashi-sensei?_

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**A/N: Japanese Proverbs 101**

Kishimoto wrote 女心は秋の空 (lit. "woman's heart is sky of autumn"), which is a paraphrased version of 女心と秋の空 (lit. "woman's heart and sky of autumn"). Both are derivatives of the original proverb, 男心と秋の空 (lit. "man's heart and sky of autumn").

The original retort to that proverb by a man is 女の心と春日和 (lit. "heart of woman and spring weather"), or alternatively as a parallel, 女心と春の空 (lit. "woman's heart and sky of spring").

Both quotes, the one against the man and the one against the woman, are used to represent fickleness. Both are negative in connotation.

The irony lies in which quote Kishimoto used. Sakura, the woman of spring (March 28) vs. Naruto, the man of autumn (October 10).

_**Haru**_no (春野) Sakura should have said onna-gokoro to _**haru**_ no sora. She didn't. Instead, she said the one for autumn. The one originally meant for a man.

References:

"Japanese Proverbs and Sayings", Daniel C. Buchanan, 1965, page 83.

"Naruto" tankōbon volume 50, Masashi Kishimoto, 2010, page 117.


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